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CDD4
residents get the short end of the stick again after revelations about more
sweetheart deals for the developer at the expense of residents. The
audacity of the developer, and the complicity of Mr. Wahl, district
administrator, are appalling. Let’s
review what already has happened: First,
the developer had his hand-appointed supervisors in CDD4 give back to the
developer a Hold Harmless agreement. This
obligates the residents to repair and maintain his golf course pond that is
required for storm water runoff and retention for the properties he sold to
residents at high markups. The
pond is on developer property, but residents had to pay about 90% of a
$165,000 repair bill. There is a
serious question about whether residents were told about this
major undisclosed liability that may cost much more in the future as
other ponds owned by the developer need repair. Second,
many residents are just learning now that the developer established CDD4 after
agreeing with Marion County that residents will be responsible for all repair
and maintenance for the residential roads in the district.
Most residents were not aware of this major undisclosed liability that
will probably cost residents thousands of additional and unexpected dollars in
the future. Third,
many CDD4 residents claim that they were never told about the train tracks on
the west side of the district (actually about 500 yards or so from the western
boundary of The Villages). The
several train passages a day are loud enough to rattle houses, windows, and
molars. Many of these residents
think they should have been told about the trains and should have had this
information when considering the purchase of properties in this area. That
is the background – now for the two new revelations: First,
there are other ponds just south of the Mulberry Square commercial properties
(look at the $5.00 map you can buy at the Banner Mercantile stores).
These ponds are the financial responsibility of CDD4 based on
agreements entered into by the original developer-appointed supervisors.
These ponds now perform the stormwater runoff function for the
commercial properties owned by either the developer or those commercial
properties. The developer has
either leased or sold the properties and is realizing a financial benefit –
but, CDD4 residents are paying to maintain the stormwater runoff function for
these properties. CDD4 is now
preparing to talk to the developer about rectifying this situation as well as
the Nancy Lopez pond bill. Second,
CDD4 has discovered that it has been paying for the roadside maintenance for
all the highway 42 frontage of The Villages.
This has amounted to a total of about $150,000 over the previous three
years. But, CDD4 has determined
that only about a third of the frontage relates to the residential properties
that are appropriately the responsibility of CDD4.
The other two-thirds of the frontage relates to the commercial
properties in Mulberry Square shopping area.
CDD4 has worked out an arrangement with the developer and the VCCDD
whereby it only pays for the one-third going forward. Unresolved, however, is the potential reimbursement for
previous payments that could amount to as much as $100,000. Taken
as a whole, these are five instances of the developer taking advantage of
residents for his own financial benefit. Residents
should be appalled at the audacity of the developer in these unethical
maneuvers. Several
additional points should also be made: The
developer has taken advantage of CDD4 on a variety of issues that are or will be
costly to residents. The
developer-appointed supervisors are a major part of the problem.
A breakdown in the concept of fair-dealing and trust in the relationship
with the developer is also part of the problem.
Some of these arrangements are unethical at least and may actually be
illegal. Additionally,
we have to cite Mr. Pete Wahl for failing to represent the best interests of
residents in his position as district administrator at the time several of these
recent situations were originally considered. We
have to ask whether Mr. Wahl was aware of these situations, as he should have
been, and whether he condemned them as unfair to residents, as he should have. For
you, the reader, does all this sound like a pattern of deceit on the part of the
developer, aided and abetted by either developer-appointed supervisors or Mr.
Wahl? As
we commented about CDD7 supervisors in another article in this issue of the
Bulletin, Mr. Wahl has a fiduciary duty to residents in his position as district
administrator. Just because he is
effectively appointed by the developer does not mean that he has no fiduciary
duty to the residents of a district in which he performs the functions of
district administrator. Nor can he
blindly approve developer initiatives that compromise his duties or the defined
governmental responsibilities that he has for residents.
If he violates his fiduciary duties, he may have personal liability for
possible misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance for his actions. ****************************** As
an addendum here, there is some suggestion that the developer insisted on
“wet” ponds rather than “dry” ponds when the original development plans
were filed with Marion County. Wet
ponds need to be fitted with an expensive liner and are designed to hold water
for irrigation or aesthetic purposes, like a golf course hazard pond.
Dry ponds accept stormwater runoff and can go dry.
A
developer might want a wet pond so as to have a nice golf course hazard, or a
nice water feature to increase the price of adjacent properties, or a source of
irrigation water. If this was the
developer’s motivation, he was clever to require us residents to pay for the
maintenance and repair of a wet pond. Especially,
in the sinkhole-prone areas of CDD4. A
dry pond would have certainly sufficed for the purposes of stormwater runoff in
CDD4. And, repair costs might have
been nil. So, the developer got his wet pond; and residents get the bill to repair it. Looks like what’s fair for him ain’t fair for us!
There
are several lessons to be learned from these CDD4 problems. First,
we have to take our hats off to the resident supervisors of CDD4 for their
efforts to represent the best interests of their fellow residents.
These resident supervisors are a model of how these boards should work.
We all need to support them and give them accolades for their efforts
to truly represent the rights of their residents and confront the developer on
improper charges. These resident supervisors are not intimidated by the
developer, his hand-appointed central district supervisors, or central
district management. Second,
developer-appointed supervisors are the primary problem in our form of
government. These supervisors may
be making decisions that are in the best interests of the developer and are
adverse to residents by any standard of fair-dealing. Many
of these decisions are made before there are any residents in a district to
object. By the time residents
move in, it may be too late to object or to change what may already be locked
in. Third,
you can’t assume that your central district (VCCDD north of highway 466 or
the SLCDD south of the highway) will represent your best interests.
These supervisors are effectively appointed by the developer and do not
necessarily have your best interests in mind.
You also need to go to these central district meetings to learn,
question, monitor. Fourth,
residents of all CDDs need to be pro-active in watching what goes on in their
CDDs. You can’t assume that the
developer and the district administrator are looking out for your best
interests. This is your community
now and you need to attend your CDD meetings, ask questions, get involved if
you can, and be informed. (See
Page 8 of this Bulletin for the times and days of your CDD meetings.) Fifth,
we need to realize that Mr. Pete Wahl is basically appointed by the developer,
serves at the pleasure of the developer, and is not an effective
representative of the rights of residents.
Mr. Wahl is a capable administrator and The Villages generally runs
well under his administration. However,
his loyalties are compromised by his relationship to the developer.
Residents pay the price and are often on the losing end of crucial
decisions. One might speculate
whether we would be better off if Mr. Wahl were replaced. However, with the developer calling the shots, any
replacement might just be more of the same. In
a CDD7 board meeting in late February, the developer-appointed supervisors
voted to accept an easement from the developer for land to be used for
stormwater and retention. Mr.
Pete Wahl commented in the Daily Sun that not having to purchase the land
would reduce the net cost to this district. For
you, the reader, does this sound familiar – perhaps something like the way
CDD4 residents were sold out by their developer-appointed supervisors on the
issue of an easement for the stormwater runoff and retention in the Nancy
Lopez pond? Residents in that
deal were saddled with the responsibility of maintenance and repair costs
for the developer’s property, the Lopez pond. Have
CDD7 residents been similarly sold out by their developer-appointed
supervisors? Mr.
Wahl’s comment about saving money because the land required for these
stormwater purposes would not have to be purchased is a typical Pete Wahl
misleading statement. The
developer must have a functioning stormwater management capability in order to
sell those houses in the first place. There
is no option to “sell” property for this necessary purpose to the district
after the design of the district or after the sale of property to residents. Mr.
Wahl went on to say that there is an “implied benefit” to district
property owners because the district will build and maintain the
infrastructure. This
is another misleading Pete Wahl statement. Why
would CDD7 maintain property owned by the developer, perhaps on one of his
golf courses, to perform a function that the developer is required to provide
anyway for the benefit of the district residents?
Yes,
it surely looks like CDD7 residents have been sold out by the
developer-appointed supervisors of the district – all of this at the
direction of the developer to provide a financial benefit to himself. When
CDD7 residents finally move into the district in greater numbers, they may not
know what hit them, or their pocketbooks. Notice
to CDD7 supervisors: Just because
you are appointed by the developer does not mean that you do not have a
fiduciary duty to the eventual residents of your district.
Nor can you blindly approve developer requests that compromise your
duties or the defined governmental responsibilities you have for residents,
current or future. If you violate
your fiduciary duties, you may have personal liability for possible
misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance for your actions. General
question for residents: How many similar deals like this exist in other CDDs? The
previous issue of the Bulletin discussed the need of many residents to have mail
delivery to their homes. This
question came up in the annual POA Survey in which a question was asked about
switching our mail delivery from the postal stations to home delivery.
The overwhelming responses was negative on this idea. However, many residents who are either sick, disabled,
shut-ins, or recuperating from surgery actually need a mail delivery service
like this. The
Bulletin article mentioned the need for something like a neighborhood “Pony
Express” Home Mail Delivery Service. The
idea was to have neighborhood residents perform this delivery service for their
neighbors. The
POA has had several calls from people willing to volunteer to do this home
delivery. The POA suggestion is that residents contact the person
responsible for the bulletin board at their local postal station.
These volunteers should then put a card on the board saying that they are
willing to do the delivery service. People
needing the service would then contact them, provide their mailbox key, and work
out a delivery schedule to meet their needs. The
controversial Activity Policy of the central districts has been rescinded upon
recommendation of Mr. Pete Wahl, District Administrator. In
a letter to the central districts, Mr. Wahl explained that resident opposition
to the policy was the deciding factor. That
opposition centered on the requirement for a $1 million liability policy,
advanced notice requirements, up to $500 for a clean-up bond, and an unrealistic
definition of a protest or demonstration group as including as few as two
people. The original policy was
conceived and drafted by Mr. Wahl and Ms. Janet Tutt, Co-Managers of the
districts. Mr.
Wahl’s letter cited various “outside groups,” primarily Sprint employees
demonstrating in The Villages about their employment, as the main reasons that
the policy was originally considered. Mr.
Wahl’s letter cited the possibility of additional outside groups demonstrating
in The Villages in the years ahead. The
POA was surprised to see Mr. Wahl basing the need for the policy on the
possibility of “outside groups” protesting in The Villages.
This is another of Mr. Wahl’s misleading statements since the target of
his Activity Policy really was Village residents.
Had Mr. Wahl been truly concerned about “outside groups” he could
have written in an exception for Village residents. The
POA congratulates the central districts, the VCCDD and the SLCCD, for
recognizing the inappropriateness of this policy and voting to rescind it.
However, the POA wishes that these two central districts had initially
put more thought, discussion, and community review into the consideration of
these policies rather than routinely following Mr. Wahl’s and Ms. Tutt’s
recommendation. We
need to emphasize the point that the outcry of residents about this
ill-conceived policy was heard by the VCCDD and the SLCDD.
Maybe this is progress in the effort to secure Residents’ Rights here
in The Villages. Perhaps we have to
walk before we run. But,
please don’t miss the key point: it was residents speaking up that made the
difference. You,
and your friends and neighbors, made the difference. Be prepared to speak up again when we next have to fight for our Residents’ Rights in our community. The
oldest CDD here in the Villages is the VCCDD, which is the Villages Central
Community Development District. It
should really have been named the
Villages Central “Commercial” Development District.
It was created by the Developer in 1992 before the sale of the first
home west of Highway 27/441. The
land was and is owned by the Developer and certain commercial enterprises in
the area of Spanish Springs. This
small area was carefully designed and gerrymandered by the Developer to
include no residents, so that the Developer and his business associates would
have permanent control of the VCCDD Board, which basically is the government
for the area of The Villages north of Highway 466.
Then,
by assigning to the VCCDD all of the
monthly amenity fees that the residential owners pay, the developer has given
the VCCDD majority financial control of the residential area in The Villages
north of Highway 466. The Developer
has also given the VCCDD control of the water and sewer system, the recreational
facilities, the garbage disposal system, the golf and tennis tee-time system,
etc. Subsequently,
the Developer created additional residential CDDs as it began to build and sell
homes in The Villages. Pursuant to
Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes, the Developer mapped and platted four (4)
separate areas of land, each containing no more than 1,000 acres, and obtained
charters for the residential Community Development Districts numbers 1, 2, 3,
and 4. Just
after each of these numbered districts was formed, the developer, as the sole
land owner, voted himself onto the board of each and entered into Agreements
with the Developer’s Corporation for the benefit of the Developers Corporation
and to the disadvantage of the residential district.
As
homes were sold pursuant to Chapter 190 in the residential districts, the new
homeowners over time obtained the right to vote for and elect their own five
member board. However, the original
agreements favoring the Developer were already in place. A
perfect example of a “favor-the-developer” mentality recently occurred in
CDD3 when the resident-elected Board of Supervisors did not challenge the
statement that CDD3 was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the golf
cart paths. This was in spite of
the fact that each resident of CDD3 had signed an agreement with the Developer
that all of the recreational facilities would be provided and maintained by the
Developer in return for payment of the monthly amenity fee.
The monthly amenity fees have been assigned to the VCCDD and it has the
duty to pay for maintenance and repair of all recreational
facilities, including the golf paths or recreational paths. The
VCCDD, which collects all of your amenity fees, should be using those fees to
maintain and repair all of the recreation trails throughout the Villages.
RESIDENTS
SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS PROMISED
TO BE PROVIDED WITH THE AMENITY FEE INCOME. In
CDD4, the board of resident supervisors, led by Richard Lambrecht, is refusing
to pay about 94% of the cost to repair a sink hole in a lake in the middle of
the Developer’s Nancy Lopez Golf Course just because the Developer gave
himself a “Hold Harmless Agreement,” which he artfully calls an Easement. This dispute is still unresolved. Richard
Lambrecht has also discovered that District 4 was improperly being billed for
roadside mowing and maintenance in areas that lawfully belonged to the Developer
and some of the commercial interests in the Mulberry Grove Shopping Center.
A new agreement is in the works that will reduce the obligation of CDD4
to pay only a third of that expense. CDD4
is also pressing Pete Wahl to get the Developer and the commercial interests to
reimburse District 4 for the excess charges over the prior years of
approximately $100,000.00. Another
cement plant is being considered for Sumter County, close to The Villages. Sumter
County sits on a ridge of lime rock, the main ingredient of cement.
There is a huge demand locally for cement for road and building
construction. The
three cement plants that might now operate in the county will each produce in
the range of 1 million tons of cement a year.
The manufacturing of Portland cement, a key ingredient of concrete and
related products, requires a high-temperature chemical process that emits
toxins, such as mercury, and other pollutants and particulates into the air. Both
the Lung Association and the Heart Association recognize the severe damage
that can occur from emissions of both particulates and mercury.
Environmental Defense, Green Peace, The Sierra Club, just to name a
few, all recognize the toxicity of mercury and particulates. Each
of the proposed cement plants may be expected to emit, according to data
supplied by the developers of the plants themselves, from 100 to 200 pounds of
mercury every year. In 20 years,
the total accumulation would be 6,000 to 12,000 pounds of mercury. Mercury
may damage the nervous system and
the brain, causing vision problems, irritability, and memory problems. It is
particularly harmful to a fetus. Florida
has one of the highest levels of mercury in the country.
Pregnant women here are warned not to eat local fish more then once a
week. The
risk to local residents cannot be accurately determined unless we have clear
readings of the mercury levels existing today in our local environment, air,
water, plants, wildlife and human population.
We need to know this BEFORE the cement plants begin operation; and then
compare it to levels AFTER the plants have been operating. Citizens
For Clean Air and Water asked the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
for a baseline mercury study. Three
hundred signatures were collected. Unfortunately,
we were turned down. Qualified
persons in the DEP are available to guide and direct such a study, but they
must be authorized and instructed to do so. We
believe that our local elected state and federal officials should act promptly
to authorize this baseline study. We
also believe that follow-up studies of mercury levels should occur at regular
intervals after start up. Only
then can we determine if the new plants are (or are not) creating a health
hazard for our community. Another
consequence of mining and cement plants is waste water.
There is gross land de-watering created by excessive dumping of water
in the mining process. This
practice due, in part, to poor enforcement of existing regulations, could
seriously impact water availability and quality in a drought. The
Citizens for Clean Air and Water is sponsoring a “Town Meeting” in its
regular monthly meeting at the Oxford Community Center on March 8 at 7 p.m.
A representative from The Southwest Water Management Department (SWFWMD)
will explain its new program to measure water levels and to regulate its
usage. What
can you do as a concerned citizen?
For more information: Contact Citizens For Clean Air and Water, Sue Michalson President or Eleanor Strickland Vice President. Call 352-259-1426; 352- 750-2311. The
POA has reviewed the Village Center Community Development District’s (VCCDD)
June 30, 1994, Audit Statement. A
surprising fact was that the report showed an estimated income for rents and
leases in 2004 of only $240,000. We wondered how was it possible that various
facilities in The Villages, suitable for rental purposes, for which the VCCDD
paid the Developer millions of dollars, could produce such a paltry sum of
rental income? At
the February 3rd meeting of the VCCDD we requested rental income records for
several prior fiscal years. We
were particularly interested in the Savannah Center with its 850 seat theater
used primarily by the Developer’s Entertainment Department. We also
requested detailed rental rates for each room including the Scarlet O’Hara
Theater. We
were surprised to discover that the rental rates for each room were based only
on square footage with no provision for a percentage of rental receipts.
Rentals, furthermore, included free use of the expensive sound system
and sophisticated lighting system. The hourly charge for the rental of the
theater until 9/30/04 was $125.00 per hour and has been reduced pursuant to an
amendment dated 5/1/05 to only $110.00 per hour. Wow! This is an extremely favorable deal for the developer! The
VCCDD staff then informed us that itemized receipts for each venue were not
available and had to be investigated in greater depth.
The VCCDD admitted, however, that in doing the research the staff found
billing errors and unpaid bills from various sources. In
the Daily Sun on Friday, Feb.17th, the VCCDD staff reported that a Public
Records request (initiated by the POA) lead to the discovery. The VCCDD
Chairman, Mr. Mike Killingsworth, acknowledged that The Villages Developer and
related entities owed $114,973.44 for the years back to 2001.
Mr. Killingsworth also acknowledged that several charities and
not-for-profit organizations owed an additional sum of $88,514.91. Mr.
Killingswoth reminded us of some of the Developer’s good deeds for
residents, including his closing of the Chula Vista Restaurant (against the
wishes of the residents) so he could donate to the VCCDD a renovated
recreation center with a cost of $2,000,000, a figure that is hard to believe.
The
POA also questions why the Board Chairman of the VCCDD would defend and praise
the Developer. This would appear
to be, on the face of it, a conflict of interests. Furthermore,
we wonder why the staff, reporting to Mr. Wahl, appears to have been asleep at
the wheel for five years when receivables amounting to $200,000 should have
been collected. Didn’t the staff or the yearly audit catch these
non-payments? This
whole episode smells fishy – there is perhaps more to this embarrassing story
that has not yet been revealed. Let’s
see what the VCCDD staff is able to tell us when it completes its investigation.
Hopefully, we don’t have another breech of financial security as was
the case with the VCCDD embezzlement from a few years ago.
Perhaps an independent outside auditing firm should be called in. The
POA is pleased to announce several new volunteers for POA leadership
positions: Cathy
Cirocco has also joined the POA Board as a director.
Cathy is an active participant in the Seniors vs. Crime group. She is responsible for updating our copy of the Florida State
Sexual Offender database which is available for review at our meetings. Sue
Michalson has joined our Board as a director.
Sue is president of the Sumter County Democrats and a founding
officer of the Clean Air and Water group.
Sue is most interested in the operations of the CDDs in The Villages
and was a leader in the response to the central districts on the Activity
Policy. Mike
O’Neil has also joined as a director.
Mike is new to The Villages, but has had great experience in various
civic organizations and commissions in his earlier life up north.
Mike is also on the editorial advisory board for the Reporter
newspaper. Chuck
Lorenz has accepted appointment as our Sergeant-At-Arms.
Chuck has been a big help in the Bulletin delivery effort and is now
helping with the email initiative we launched for the Disclosure Reform
bill. Please
join us in congratulating these four POA members and thanking them for
volunteering to support our activities. Marty
Kutnyak has resigned as a director of the POA after serving for about a
year. Many thanks to Marty for his fine service and good luck and
health for the future. Pete Cacioppo has also resigned as a director to devote his full attention to the delivery effort for the POA Bulletin. Pete is also our primary contact for recruiting new route delivery people. Pete served on the board for about three years and his devotion and hard work were exemplary. We look forward to continuing our great relationship with Pete for his Bulletin delivery responsibilities. A
recent article in the Leesburg Daily Commercial newspaper said The Villages
needs to start planning better for its water usage.
The comments were made by a representative from the St. Johns Water
Management District, a state agency responsible for water use regulations in
our area. We
were surprised to read this. Have
not The Villages water usage plans been under scrutiny by these state agencies
all along? A
St. Johns representative said that the local aquifer cannot supply all of The
Villages water needs in the near future. Did
St. Johns come to this conclusion before or after the plans for adding another
60,000 people south of highway 466 were announced and approved a few years ago?
The
St. Johns representative went on to say that alternate water sources need to be
developed. Read
that again: Alternate water sources need to be developed. Boy,
that sounds expensive. Bet
you weren’t told about this potential cost-of-water issue when you purchased
your home here. But, believe it. We are going to have to bite this expensive bullet sometime in what could be the very near future. So, drink up! Then, pay up!
They
moved us again. The March 15
meeting will be in the Hacienda Recreation Center.
We will be in this room for the next few months until the Paradise
Recreation Center is re-opened. The sexual
offender and predator website is http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/sexual_predators/
. We have the entire local database in a 3-ring binder
for viewing at the POA monthly meetings. If
you see Bulletins lying in the street or the gutter after delivery, or if you
know a house is unoccupied, please pick up the Bulletins and either hold them
for the resident’s return, or discard them.
This is especially important during windy or rainy weather. If you need help on any elder healthcare issue or problem, please call the Shine Elder Help line at 1-800-963-5337. You can also call Harold Barnes, a Villages resident, at 753-8810. Or you can talk to Harold personally at any one of the POA monthly meetings. He has a table display and is ready to talk or help. ·
Reopen the irons only driving range/or at least maintain the grass & area. ·
Priority golf program too costly. Should also give you an opportunity to
freeze your membership for two or three months. The Wellness Centers give you
an opportunity to freeze membership. ·
Don’t complain. Do something. ·
Developer has ads telling potential buyers that this is a gated community. Our
security stinks!!! Don’t put the widening/repair on Sumter County residents.
Assess each home in the entire Villages $25.00 only! Repairs and widening
would be taken care of. ·
I’ve lived in The Villages 3 years and all fees keep going up, i.e., Amenity
Fees, County taxes, Priority Golf membership fees and golf fees. I was told
that fees on the championship courses would not exceed $1.00 per hole. Ha!
What a joke! Also, SINKHOLES should be the responsibility of the developer.
PERIOD. Residents should not be liable for SINKHOLES. ·
I thought the idea of asking questions was very good. I like the POA. I’m
glad you are in The Villages as a voice for us. ·
Not being able to vote for our reps is outrageous. Not enough golf ranges in
The Villages. If you have a golf
cart that does more than 19 mph, you are going too fast for the lights on the
cart that were designed for 19 mph not 25 mph. ·
We want the Christmas parade reinstated as many others. Smaller is fine, but
still to have the celebration is important to all of us. I am disappointed
that table tennis, pickle ball, and badminton are so overcrowded with great
players that those of us who are “athletically challenged” but have a good
attitude and desire are given very little opportunity. ·
The surveys conducted by The Villages are shams. Responses to suggestions to
The Villages are disappointing. ·
Look forward to your (our) newspaper, which gives us so many new facts
regarding ongoing points of interest to all Villagers. Thank you – Keep up
the good job. · The lack of any police presence in the Marion County
portion of The Villages is appalling, and we get very little in return for the
hefty taxes we pay. ·
Mail delivery stinks. Take your life and vehicle to task when pick-up at
station box. ·
Free golf, that’s a lie. When you’re paying $1,428.20 year amenity fees,
you’re paying for every round you play. ·
Pete Wahl – must serve developer. Radio Station – excellent.
Morse family – greedy and insensitive to residents. Example: Silver
Lake Club and Chula. Bring back ·
The living in The Villages is great. However, the rules should reflect ALL the
residents, not a selected few.
·
It’s scary not knowing where all fees are going or how they are being spent.
A large portion of monies spent on beautification gets my hearty approval! ·
Golf should be free, like it was promised, and that $3.50 per golf cart is not
FREE on executive courses. And The Villages is not safe, with the break-ins
and robberies. ·
We need more Resident Only facilities and strict enforcement of Resident IDs. Residents should have priority seating at Village events like
Church on the Square and Savannah programs.
·
The Property Owners’ Association (POA), in General: A lot of talk - not much
action. ·
Daily Sun Newspaper: Too many baby pictures. Too many pet pictures. Too much
Veteran’s activities, OP-ED pages with unsigned editorials, and too
one-sided. ·
Chapter 190 needs to be changed to allow residents to vote for these people. ·
POA does a fine job. ·
Thanks to POA - I’m joining. (live in Polo Ridge) I paid to live in a gated
community. Now 4 years later, higher fees, NO guards at gates. Open to all.
Hospital: Poor Care in Emergency room. ·
Seasonal residents should be given a reduced or no rate for when they are
absent. We are disturbed by the extremely inflated sale of Village facilities
(Savannah Center). Were these appraisals at arms length??? We don’t think
so. Traffic in The Villages: Speed limits are ignored.
The Villages Trash Service: No lower billing consideration given
seasonal residents. The Villages Water Utilities Service: Water tastes awful.
The Daily Sun Newspaper, in General: very biased. ·
The Villages Regional Hospital: Like
most things, downhill - a bad need for room - much procrastination. The
Villages TV Station, in General: Downhill, what once was great-now 15 minutes
and you have seen it all - why? The Villages District Manager, Mr. Pete Wahl
& The VCCDD District Administrator, Ms. Monica Anderson: Lots of talk - no
action unless for their own good. ·
A golf cart annual registration needs to be implemented and charge a yearly fee
for administration of a safe driving program and cart safety inspection
(headlights, brake lights, turn signals, etc.) Also a fund could be generated
for the repair/maintenance of paths. ·
CDD program is seriously abused by developer. Polo field serves only to satisfy
whims of Morse family. Should be abandoned. ·
Thank you POA. ·
There are many good features about The Villages. But the veil of secrecy
surrounding the developer and his minions is very frustrating. ·
Keep up the good work! ·
Repeated requests for a putting green at the Silver Lake executive course are
denied due to expense involved: estimates cost would exceed $160,000. WOW!! ·
I would like to know what will become of this survey questions – Are they
going to become better? I hope so. I don’t think we need any more recreation
centers. You did away with Silver Lake, one of the best restaurants and now
it’s Chula Vista, another great one. What else will GO! ·
We have been here since 1989 and are mostly satisfied. The worst thing was when
they closed the Silver Lake Club. Also most improvements are done on the west
side now. ·
As would be expected, when we purchased our home, only the positive effects were
revealed. ·
We have lived here over ten years and the changes over that time have lessened
the desire to live here. The developer (for instance) doesn’t want to be in
the food service business - but apparently charges too much for others to run
the facilities - thus the constant changes, i.e. Tierra Del Sol, Chula Vista,
and Silver Lake. ·
No one in management listens to residents and a lot like a Czar. I’ve heard it
was different when Mr. Schwartz was involved and “people” remarks counted.
Not so today. ·
Whatever the faults, we still love living here. March 15, 2006 Third
Wednesday of the Month – 7:00 p.m. Hacienda
Recreation Center Mr.
Louis Bremer, CEO of Leesburg Regional
Medical Center, Will Talk About The
Expansion of The Villages Hospital
COFFEE
AND DONUTS FOR
ALL AFTER THE MEETING ALL
RESIDENTS WELCOME – COME AND JOIN US
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